If We Could Go Back
by Nathan Monroe
Summary: A series of drabbles based on the ramblings of my friend and I, discussing how life would be like if we could start it all again. If we could go back; and live in the world we love so dearly.
1. The First Meeting

**A/N:** Welcome! Glad you decided to click on this. Some backstory, my dear friend and I were getting very nostalgic about Potter and started discussing how life could've been like if we'd grown up in the world of Harry Potter. These one-shots will be seemingly random, they'll show various segments of life that we spoke about. It may even go back and forward in time as and when I write each moment in our lives. Heavily written whilst listening to the song 'End of an Era' by Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls.

**Of course, I own nothing except the characters (who technically I don't own really as they are based on people I know in real life) and any locations mentioned that are not part of the Potter world are also mine.**

* * *

A knock at the carriage door stirred me, "May I sit here? I don't know where else to go." I looked up at the girl in the doorway. Her hair hung in waves around her waist, glasses hiding sheepish eyes.

"Sure, I don't mind." I really didn't, I needed someone else to talk to on this journey.

"I'm Katherine, by the way," she said.

"Alistair. I'm pleased to meet you," I replied, still nervous. I couldn't shake this feeling, my family were... What do these people call them? Muggles? I had only been introduced to the idea of magic 5 months ago, and now here I was, sat with a witch, off to a school for magic people.

"You're nervous, too, aren't you?" Katherine said, I think I'd be quite for too long.

"Yes, yeah I'm not used to this magic thing. My family are muggles."

"Mine, too. It's all so strange, isn't it? But exciting, I guess," I could see the spark in her eyes, now. Almost as if this were something she'd received after years of waiting for it.

"Really? Where are you from?" I asked, I felt at ease around this girl.

"New Arkwood, it's not a very big town," But, I knew that town.

"So am I! Which train did you get to London?"

"The 6.00 am from Northgate, were you there, too?" This was unbelievable.

"Yeah! Wow, I've never even seen you before."

And the train ride went by without a moment of silence between us. Katherine wanted to be a Ravenclaw, me a Slytherin. We showed each other our wands, we wondered which lessons we'd like the most, we promised we'd look out for each other.

To think it all started there.


	2. The First Summer

**A/N:** You're about to see what I mean by time skip. You'll see more of us actually in Hogwarts as we age, at the minute I'm just kind of going through the text messages we sent, writing up whatever I like and expanding on it. Enjoy!

* * *

Our train ride back to Kings Cross was solemn, neither of us were ready to leave. To say we were both muggle born, I don't think Hogwarts had seen two first years so captivated by magic. From the moment we stepped off of the train, we'd fallen in love with this idea of witchcraft and wizardry.

I took the seat nearest the window, Katherine had laid her head on my shoulder and was falling asleep. Victoria and James sat opposite us, both looked as tired as we did. The four of us had become almost inseparable over the year, despite the fact that they were Ravenclaw and I was Slytherin.

Every waking moment out of class was spent together. We trawled the library for every spell book we could find. We practised spells until we couldn't keep our eyes open. I had friends in Slytherin, sure. But these, these were my family. Unfortunately, Victoria and James didn't live near us, so we wouldn't see them again until next year.

Myself and Katherine, though? We barely left each others' side the whole summer. We practically lived and breathed one another. Be it cinema-going, textbook reading, or just good old fashioned sleep overs... Nothing can tear us apart.

I remember one summer afternoon, we were camping in my back garden. Katherine said to me, "Alistair, are you awake?"

"Mm? What's up?"

"Will you promise me something?" She sounded scared, I sat up to face her.

"Of course, whatever you need."

"You'll never leave me?" I couldn't hide my smile, but my eyes were serious.

"I'd rather die."

I think from that moment on, that was when we both truly knew what we meant to the other. Family wasn't determined by blood. Because we were family now.

* * *

**A/N:** Also, I realise that these are short, but they are just drabbles. It won't be anything near a proper story. Sorry if you were expecting longer, but they'll probably only go up to around 500 words maximum, usually less.


	3. The First Outing

**A/N:** Hope everyone's enjoying these, they should come in short bursts, as they're not difficult to write but I feel like they're better off separate, rather than merging them all into large chapters.

* * *

Our first moment at Hogsmeade was, no pun intended, absolutely magical. Three years on, Katherine and I were still as close as two friends could be. It had become a strange sight to see one of us without the other. The only thing that had changed was our height, Katherine was no longer taller than me, something she resented me for.

The snow was already thick and difficult to walk on, but we made our way through. The Hog's Head was where most people seemed to head to. It was here that we had our first taste of Butterbeer. I remember it fondly, Katherine had received a lovely foam moustache after her first drink. It was also the day that James made it onto the Ravenclaw quidditch team. And that Victoria broke her first bone, (she shouldn't be allowed on or near a broom) and so spent her first day in the infirmary.

We spent the entire day drinking way too many Butterbeers and talking about which homework we should do later. What we should do when we next come to Hogsmeade. When James' first quidditch match would be. How he would be mad at me if I wore Slytherin colours instead of Ravenclaw, because clearly supporting my friend was more important than house pride. (I did wear a Ravenclaw scarf when the match came, it was worth it to see him smile.)

But our first day in Hogsmeade was also the first day I tried to tell Katherine something. It wasn't the last. James kept interrupting, I needed to tell Katherine alone. I was quiet that day.

When we got back to Hogwarts, I ate dinner at the Ravenclaw table. We did our homework in the library, together. And when I returned to the Slytherin common room, I feel asleep with a bittersweet smile.


	4. The First 'Outing'

**A/N:** Short and sweet, just like always.

* * *

Katherine and I were sat in the Entrance Courtyard, the snow had begun to melt. I'd tried to start this conversation multiple times now, but I could never find the words. Or someone had interrupted. Or I got scared.

I don't remember much, just that I had burst out crying immediately after saying it, and Katherine had held me.

"James?" She had whispered, all I could do was nod.

"I had my suspicions," Of course she had, I knew she knew, but it was that much harder to say in person.

Nothing changed of course. News spread through the school like wildfire, but the only change now was that we could watch the boys on the quidditch teams together. Pointing out our favourites. James had settled into his place on the team perfectly. Victoria had grown distant, but in good terms.

We met Honey through an assignment for Potions. She was a Slytherin, but since I spent little time in my own common room, we didn't know each other very well. Now, though, she was part of the family. The three of us had bonded very instantly, she was similar to the both of us. I remember the first time she defended me and Katherine against 6th year bullies. I remember how no-one ever bullied us again. She cared with a fierce heart.

Third year was over before we knew it. That was the first summer I visited James outside of school. I stayed at his house in Cornwall for a week, Katherine and Honey joined us for a couple days. He told me something I'd never forget that week, when we were half asleep.

"You know I knew, right?" My heart pounded the second the words left his lips.

"I thought you wouldn't like me if you knew?"

"It's not your choice, Ali. Just know that I'm still your friend, your best friend."


End file.
